Report sheds light on dark reality of NFL cheerleaders

Being an NFL cheerleader seems like a "fun" occupation but recent reports shed light into the harsher realities of the job including low wages and stringent requirements.

The media outlet Mic posted a copy of the 2012 Oakland Raiderettes etiquette agreement and notes, "It provides an unsettling overview of the rigid and blatantly sexist double standards cheerleaders must endure with a smile, because 'negative facial expressions' are prohibited."

The Los Angeles Times published excerpts from the agreement back in 2014. The dining etiquette section read, in part, "If you don't like your meal, try a little of everything and strategically move the rest around your plate...Gently unfold your napkin and place it on your lap...If you need to leave the table, place the napkin on your chair, and don't forget to say, 'Excuse me.'"

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Then there's the issue of wages.

In January, some of the former cheerleaders for the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders filed a lawsuit over labor practices and wages according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

ABC News reports that "the lawsuit alleges the 26 named NFL teams paid cheerleaders around $100 per game and in some cases did not compensate them at all for time spent rehearsing or for other mandatory public appearances. "

The suit also compares cheerleaders' wages to those of the mascots who can earn in the range of $25,000 to $60,000.

Back in 2014, the Oakland Raiders reached a settlement with its cheerleaders after another lawsuit over wages.

According to CBS Sports, "One of the cheerleaders who filed the lawsuit estimated that she earned less than $5 an hour in pay."

Following the settlement, the hourly rate was reportedly bumped to $9 an hour, including overtime.